In 2007, a band of dedicated Rye enthusiasts bought a farm — they actually purchased a plot of land in Vermont lovingly named Whistle Pig Farm. They teamed up with master distiller Dave Pickerell — formerly of Maker’s Mark — to bring genuine Rye Whiskey back to the forefront of American Whiskeys. It took a while, but they have now grown to become a true "estate producer," which means that all aspects of their core Whiskey production are on site from growing the grain to bottling the spirit. They produce three award-winning core products and have experimented with a variety of finished wood Rye Whiskeys.
This means quality production by MGP that is aged and finished at WhistlePig Farm in Port, Sauternes, and Madeira wood casks.
The key to the unique flavor character of WhistlePig 12YO is in the combination of the casks. After spending 12 years in new American oak casks, it is then finished in three European wine casks: Madeira, Port and French Sauternes.
Smartass Corner: What the heck is "whistle pig" anyway? Even though all Whistle Pig Whisky labels are adorned with the sketch of a tuxedo-clad hog, "whistle pig", groundhog and woodchuck all refer to the same animal.
American oak, Madeira, Port and French Sauternes casks
Flavor Spiral™
About The Flavor Spiral
caramel
port
vanilla
spicy
herbs
oak
honey
rancio
orange
What does WhistlePig Old World 12 Year Old Rye Whiskey taste like?
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in WhistlePig Old World 12 Year Old Rye Whiskey and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Spicy sweet rye. Excellent sipper. Better value than the 15 year WP in my opinion.
Stephen,
Too oaky
Jon,
Port taste was overpowering in the middle and lingered in the aftertaste
Judy,
strange. If you compare it with the 15 and the piggyback and the 10, this is the oddest and least fun to drink, IMO
Thomas,
Loved it
Michael,
I really love this Rye, but it is overpriced for what it is. It is exceedingly smooth with caramel and vanilla dominating the palate. Hard to find another rye this smooth.
Jacob,
This is my current favorite rye. Smooth and delicious.
Christopher,
Very smooth with a nice mouth-feel. Our bottle seemed to be less spicy than the 6yo WhistlePig Piggyback Rye
Robert,
This is a smooth, silky sweet intro with a cherry finish and only a subtle bit of heat on the end. A very refined and delicately bold whisky. The only reason I gave it a nine rather than a ten is the price.
guest,
Very good caramel nose, honey tongue, and spicy finish.
Mike,
I’ve never had a wine cask finish, and this was a helluva way to start. Sweet port, caramel, just a hint of spice. Great stuff.
Craig,
Loved it.
Robert,
Earthy and woody with hints of vanilla.
guest,
Superb! This is my go to from WP. The port and madeira finishes are excellent.
Jeff,
Not normally a rye fan but received a 10 12 and 15 year sampler. Thought the 12 was the best of all 3. Don't know if it's worth the money but as a sample was nice to try.
Richard,
Subpar at best. Seemed really thin with no notes singing out.
John,
Excellent!
Roger,
Best I've ever tasted. Ridiculously smooth. Love it with a nice cigar!
Garrett,
A great rye, but Whistle Pig has always been a bit overpriced for me. I received this bottle from a vendor and was able to try it out for free, so price wasn't a factor, in the end. 8 stars, because I'm not much of a rye drinker, and this one was pretty tasty.
Ben,
Only rye I’ve tasted that’s better than Piggyback. Hate that it’s over $100, but worth it.
Alexander,
Spice was nice and not overpowering. Excellent notes, light citrus was nice
Christopher,
This is such an enjoyable experience. Typically rye whiskeys are hit or miss for me. I currently prefer bourbon. But this is so wonderful from smell to finish. I love the notes of a dark sweet red wine, along with the caramel, oak, and vanilla notes. The rye and spice notes are prevalent, but certainly not overpowering. Finish is nice and easy. It is a little expensive for my typical budget. I have about 3 ounces left in a bottle I acquired in 2018. I will get another eventually. 10/10 no question.
Jeff,
Perfect in my opinion
Norman,
Very smooth, heavy/great caramel, nice spicy finish
Michael,
Such an easy sipper. This wheated bourbon is smooth and gives off just a little hint of sweetness. It's a favorite in the home bar.
Jason,
The smoothest, best tasting rye I have ever had. Great flavor all the way thru. No ice needed just pour it in a glass & relax.
RON,
At a tasting in VT I liked this 12 yr over the 15 (but didn’t get to taste the Boss Hog).
Josh,
I am usually not a fruit lover when talking whiskey, but the rye bite balances very well with the orange notes. Very smooth and VERY pleasing aroma.
Jeffrey,
Damn good.
Daniel,
Gave it a whirl, not my cup of tea
Brad,
Smooth. Tasty. Best. Ever.
Amanda,
What a treat.
Trevor,
Very drinkable easy whiskey
Joni,
My go to nicer rye.
Nicholas,
Favorite rye! Nice port smell with a bit of butter, a little sweet too. First tasting hits the classic spicy rye flavor - but a little smoother than usual ryes with a good raisin taste. Very smooth towards the end, sweeter finish, with orange, caramel, and just a hint of marshmallow i find with rye
Jeff,
By far my favorite Rye whiskey. I look forward to trying the 15 yr next.
Marwan,
I like whisky in general, but I thought I might like rye whisky, well I don't... its not my favorite... it was good, but that's all I can give it...to me, it has some bitterness and some after taste (not long) that I didn't and don't like
Nicholas,
Hands down the best rye whiskey I've ever tasted. So smooth with rich, deep flavor.
Jon,
Love it! This is "the good stuff" in my decanter. Great flavor.
David,
Didn't like the flavor
Daniel,
I decided to purchase this since I enjoyed Whistle Pig 10 yr. so much. This did not disappoint! I really adore the long finish that lingers in the mouth and on the tongue. Smooth with just the right amount of spice. Dare I try Whistle Pig 15 yr. next?
Brian,
Really good with ginger ale.
Brian,
Great whiskey for special occasions.
Trevor,
Just okay
James,
My first choice of my membership and it did not disappoint. I'm a new whiskey drinker and this on the rocks was phenomenal!
Ruben,
You got this whiskey with your new membership? You're lucky!
guest,
Amazing on the nose and palate!
guest,
One of the best American whiskeys. Definitely the best among rye. Only the competitor in my mind is Blanton’s bourbon.
Michael,
Smooth spicy.
Craig,
Extremely smooth - a delight to the palate
Justin,
Great rye overall. Great for summer, nice spice without being overwhelming.
David,
Very smooth with a kick.
Paul,
Very enjoyable, smooth and flavorful!
Mark,
This is fantastic, very smooth I would recommend this to anyone.
Jason,
This just became my favorite rye. A little pricey, but high quality.
Brad,
Amazing. So smooth
Matt,
Close enough to the Boss Hogg for the price
Jim,
This is my all-time favorite Rye. It has what I describe as an exotic flavor profile, that coats every part of the mouth, with lingering waves of tastes.
Brendan,
Amazing rye. Unique finish adds depth without being overpowering, and there’s just enough wood influence and spice to balance everything together. Definitely worth splurging on!
Mike,
My favorite rye so far! Smooth and no burn at all.
Skip,
Love the taste and finish
Paul,
The Bourbon Drinkers Rye
guest,
Sunny hill
Michael,
The best bottle of rye I have ever drank. My father and I bought it for thanksgiving and almost drank the entire bottle over dinner. Would highly recommend!
Peter,
This was my first WhistlePig and I loved it. I don't see Apple mentioned, but I sensed a hint of Apple in the nose and finish. Great spicy kick and long lasting flavors.
Pete,
My first whistle pig sample. It had more of a bite than you should get at that price point
Anne,
Great flavor, better neat
John,
Love this!
Fantastic flavor.
Fantastic blend!
Cory,
Excellent!
Stann,
WOW
Just purchased another bottle and one of the 15yr old because.... I have to know
Jovon,
Much better then their straight Rye!
Cody,
Amazingly smooth
Mark,
Still my favorite whiskey of all time, of any variety. Everything about it is nearly perfect. Except the price. I can't afford to buy it very often, but every time I do, I am richly rewarded.
James,
Sweet long finish. Super smooth. Favorite Rye currently.
Brittany,
A very great sipping whisky. Warm mouth feel, wonderful Smokey notes and welcoming bite.
Dylan,
It has the depth of flavor that I enjoy and is smooth enough for my wife to drink without scrunching up her face.
Nicholas,
Good, opens up with a little ice, would buy again, but want to try other WP offerings first. Price point is a bit too high for me though
DAVID,
I love Whistle Pig, and this may be their best product. It's darn near perfect. Packs a punch up front, but not too heavy. Smooth finish, nice warmth as it goes down. A world class rye.
Sean,
Huge hit at guys night whiskey tasting. Big bold pepper spicyness with a long smooth almost sweet finish. This has quickly became one of my favorites!
Michael,
Great beginning. Stale vat finish. Not a huge fan but could sip this with a meal.
Antti,
It is an outstanding, rich Rye Whiskey with a rich birth; while a rich & complex life; leads to a long & rich death with notes of dark chocolate, caramel & a hint of smoke.
Richard,
This whiskey has ruined me. I've just learned to appreciate whiskey and now nothing compares to this one. It's good on the rocks but even better neat with a few drops of water. Caramel and fruit are the prominent notes. Price is similar to my local distributor.
Ryan,
I picked up a bottle of a slightly different blend of this exclusive to a Chicagoland liquor store. Not sure how it differs from the standard release in terms of taste, but the one I have is absolutely fantastic. This is definitely something I'll be keeping in stock in the home bar.
John,
Sweet and subtle bite throughout. Smooth rye whiskey.
Lawrence,
This whiskey is definitely an acquired taste...that I haven't yet developed. I am not a fan of aging whiskey in various wine barrels.
I want my whiskey to taste like whiskey and my wine etc.
I'm embarrassed to tell anyone how much I spent on this bottle.
Wish I could get my money back or a credit to spend toward something I would drink. Oh well, live and learn.
Jennifer,
I wish I could buy your bottle!
Sean,
I like your style Jennifer!
Joshua,
Vanilla and spicy and everything nice. Excellent rye.
Michael,
I only got to first try Whistle Pig within the last couple of years out here on the 9th island. It quickly became a staple that is complex yet easy to enjoy and not completely overbearing. When Old World appeared I quickly got my hands on a bottle and was certainly worth the 30 extra bucks.
guest,
Amazing flavor
Shawn,
Oh yes! This Rye is fantastic!
Dwight,
One of my favorite Rye Whiskeys, period. Not only incredibly smooth, but with a host of complex flavors from beginning to end. Now if only it wasn't so pricey...
Kyle,
One of the best Rye’s I’ve had to date
Bob,
Our favorite...we tasted and immediately drove to liquor store to purchase our first bottle...we try to keep several bottles at home...hard to find and hate to run out.
Mark,
Probably the best rye I ever had. Extremely smooth and easy to drink. Definitely worth the price. Will buy again.
Chuck,
I really like this. It's smooth and has a great taste. This may become one of my 'go-to' Ryes.
Bianca,
The only Rye I have ever liked! I wouldn’t mind having a bottle of this in my home bar!
Madison,
This is one of the few whiskies that after one taste I immediately know I would like to buy multiple bottles. This is, by far, my favorite rye whiskey. Admittedly, I'm a beginner to rye, but I prefer this over most bourbons, and maybe even a few scotches (but if anyone asks I never said that last part.)
Chuck,
Smooth and flavorful!
Troy,
I was curious if the taste warranted the price; it does. Fantastic.
Tracy,
Smooth in e front and a little spice in the back. VERY NICE!
Alon,
Really excellent in every way. Interesting, flavorful, smooth. One of the best whiskey's I've had.
John,
Amazing Rye
Alon,
Sweet but not too sweet, nice spice, nice bloom, easy aftertaste. Overall an outstanding drink, a pleasure to drink neat or any other way you'd like.
Brian,
This whiskey has a great nose! With a luxurious mouth feel. The alcohol content is just right to warm you up on a cold evening. It has notes of honey and oak on the front, with tobacco and spices on the after taste. It’s a little pricey for me, but a very nice bottle to have for a special occasion!
Gary,
Excellent - typically direct people here after they've had Basil Haden's - again, to show them what just a little bit more money gets them in terms of quality.
Alice,
Tasted for Robert Burns Night. Very smooth, slightly sweet, good sipper on the rocks.
Michael,
It was ok. I expected more flavor. After setting out for about 20 min it does offer more flavor. Kinda like wine.
Michael,
All time favorite!
Dean,
ONE OF THE BEST RYES I HAVE TASTED
Clinton,
Love the mix of finishing barrels - really finishes great due to them, personally I think the Madeira is what sets it apart. Priced high but for those of us who enjoy a little sweeter different finish while still holding onto that rye up front then buy this and you won’t regret it lol
Matt,
tasty
Andrew,
Another solid offering from WhistlePig.
Carl,
Smoooooth
Dave,
Complex flavors, spice-kick, and is smooth with a nice prolong finish.
Alton,
Very nice and smooth.. I will keep a bottle or two always!
Alex,
It's a great whiskey and of course living in Vermont, I had to try it. I absolutely loved it but I don't think it's worth the price.
Carl,
Superb rye for sipping - just enough spice up front